Condensed definitions appear after each term.
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The Pharma Marketing Glossary
The sales aid -- also known as a detail aid or visual aid -- is a print piece (booklet or brochure) or an electronic document containing product information. The sales aid is used by pharmaceutical sales representatives -- or in eDetailing programs -- to engage physicians in a productive dialog about a drug.
A sales aid usually is composed of information about the productÂ’s efficacy, clinical data that support the manufacturer's claims, charts and graphs, guidance for dosing and administration of the drug, and summary information pertaining to the productÂ’s tolerability and safety. It may also include the official labeling. The sales ad is primarily a marketing tool that incorporates creative elements such as photos, slogans, and brand logos.
Where to find more information:Sampling (ie, Drug Sampling) is the process by which pharmaceutical companies distribute free drugs (Drug Samples) to physicians. According to the Prescription Drug Marketing Act of 1987, the term "drug sample" means a unit of a drug, which is not intended to be sold and is intended to promote the sale of the drug. According to this act, the manufacturer or distributor of a drug subject may distribute drug samples by mail or common carrier to practitioners licensed to prescribe such drugs or, at the request of a licensed practitioner, to pharmacies of hospitals or other health care entities. The recipient of the drug sample must execute a written receipt for the drug sample upon its delivery and the return of the receipt to the manufacturer or distributor.
According to the Prescription Project: Samples serve two distinct marketing purposes. (1) Physicians value samples and are willing to spend time with sales representatives to get them. (2) Secondly, samples serve as "starter" medications -- an enticement to prescribe new, heavily marketed and generally more expensive medications. Once therapy has been initiated, patients and their insurers are likely to continue to pay for the new, costly drugs.
Where to find more information:- Prescription Drug Marketing Act of 1987.
- Pharmaceutical Samples: A Toolkit for Academic Medical Centers (pdf).
- PMN Article: Free Drug Samples: The Sales Rep's Last Great Hope?.
- PMN Survey Results: Should Free Drug Samples Be Banned?.
- PMN Article: Intelligent Online Sampling Strategies.
A Secondary Detail is a detail that is in the second position (or of secondary importance) in a sales call by a pharmaceutical sales representative. Only the Primary Detail receives more emphasis or focus during the call. (Source: Distribution and Development Agreement.)
Secondary Detail means a Detail during which one of the Products is the second (2nd) most prominent item presented in the Call and comprises, on average, approximately one third (33%) of the time and cost of the Call. NOTE: Percentage of sales call may vary depending upon total number of details presented. (Source: SALES AND PROMOTIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT.)
